Page:The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Mammalia).djvu/27



The present is the first part of a general work, compiled for the Government, and published under its authority, on the Fauna of British India and its dependencies. A few details respecting this larger work may serve as a preface to the introductory observations on the Mammalia.

The large additions made to our knowledge of Indian Zoology during the period, now about a quarter of a century, that has elapsed since the appearance of Jerdon's 'Birds' and 'Mammals' and Günther's 'Reptiles' have for some time rendered it desirable that a new series of descriptive manuals should be prepared. The Secretary of State for India in Council, upon the recommendation of the Government of India, gave his sanction, in 1883, to a plan for the preparation of the works most urgently required, and entrusted the editorship of the series to the present writer. From various causes the appearance of the work has been delayed, but it is hoped that the principal difficulties have now been overcome.

For the present, it is proposed to restrict the publication to the Vertebrata, and to complete the work in seven volumes of about 500 pages each. One of these volumes will contain the Mammals (the present issue is only a half-volume), three will be required for the Birds, one for Reptiles and Batrachians, and two for Fishes.

The authorship of the volumes on Fishes has been undertaken by Mr. F. Day, C.I.E., Deputy Surgeon-General, author of the 'Fishes of India'; the Reptilia and Batrachia will be described by Mr. G. A. Boulenger, author of the recently publislied British-Museum Catalogues of Batrachia and Lizards; whilst the Birds will, it is hoped, be taken in hand by Mr. E. W. Oates, author of the 'Birds of British Burmah.' The Mammals remain to be